Man Refuses to Rebuild Relationship with Wife’s ‘Family from Hell’ After Mother-in-Law’s Death

A man recently shared on Reddit that since his mother-in-law passed away, his wife’s family has been pushing to reconnect, but he refers to them as the family “from Hell.”

He explains that after the mother-in-law’s death, the extended family “wants to draw the family closer, as we’ve grown apart.” However, he isn’t interested. According to him, his wife’s relatives frequently hurl insults disguised as jokes, and many openly dislike him because he refuses to “roll over and take their s—.”

“I’m not letting anyone talk to my wife like that,” he states firmly. “I couldn’t care less if they dislike me, I hate them too.”

The poster describes the family as full of “master manipulators” who are now using guilt to pull his wife back in. “There isn’t one in the bunch I can stand, and my wife feels the same way,” he adds. “She has as little to do with them as possible.”

He recalls their past experiences of being dragged into endless family gatherings. “We spent too long getting roped into every family affair. ‘The child of someone’s in-law’s second cousin’s ex-wife’s sister just completed third grade, we should celebrate! You bring the liquor, dessert, and the main courses, we’ll bring the sides.’ Not much of an exaggeration there. That happened nearly every weekend!”

The situation reached a breaking point when the couple agreed to host Easter one year. Initially expecting eight guests, the number grew to twelve, then sixteen. “We agreed to those extras, we accommodated. Guess how many people showed up with no warning? FIFTY. And no one brought any food,” he recalls. “We couldn’t handle 50 people with no notice! Wife was distraught. ‘What’re we gonna do??’”

Stepping in, the husband addressed the crowd, pointing out the lack of food and space. He then directed them to a nearby Denny’s, after which they all left abruptly.

“After that, we had blissful peace for three years of never getting invited to anything and pretty much no one speaking to us,” he writes. “The wife had never been happier.”

Now, with the family eager to reconnect, his wife is torn. “She’s doing a lot of hand-wringing,” he says.

“I reminded her how bad it was when they were in our lives, and how fantastic it’s been with them out of it. We played nice while the MIL was dying and did our part to help out,” he explains. “Now, they’ve taken that as a sign we’re going to be one big (un)happy family again.”

The man admits he tries to block their efforts but they often go around him to reach his wife. “Genuinely have no idea what to do to make things easier on the wife but also feeling like I’m a huge part of the problem, not the solution.”

Other Reddit users encouraged him to hold his ground. One commented, “You should encourage your wife to get therapy. She should not get back into the clutches of her toxic family. Also let her know that whatever she decides, you will not be engaging with them. They’re not allowed in your house and you will not go with her to see them. Maybe that will help her decide.”